Portugese cathartic black metallers Gaerea return with their third studio album, titled "Mirage", on September 23rd 2022. Having received critical praise on their previous work, 2020's "Limbo", it's safe to say that the stakes were high for the band. With "mirage" being a synonym for "illusion", one could wonder if the record lives up to its title. Gaerea however saw us and raised us, crafting a truly phenomenal album.
Opener "Memoir" introduces the listener gradually to a compelling chaos, driven by emotion. The mystical atmosphere it sets with the acoustic melody and the airy whispers transforms into a wave of overwhelming darkness. Disclaimer, I will probably overuse the word "emotion" in this text, apologies in advance, but frankly it's the only one that can truly encapsulate the essence of this album. Despite relying mostly on mid-tempo patterns, Gaerea manages to unleash a barrage of riffage all while maintaining solid follicles of melody. One will notice that the 8 tracks in this release are quite long, which could appear worrisome in terms of potentially dragging, but the Portugese are masters at building anticipation. The unpredictability of the structures is something that, when done right, never fails to win me over. Instead of playing it safe in the stereotypical verse-chorus-verse pattern, Gaerea switches the pace to better accommodate any expression of their dramatic storytelling, resulting in the manifestation of creative songwriting, bound to keep the listener on the edge of their seat no matter what.
There is a continuity in the compositions, allowing them to never lose focus and remain on point even when the tracks allude to varying musical undertones. Another thing that I find amplifies the connection to the intrinsic grimness of "Mirage" is the fact that, behind the voice or the pummeling drums, there is no face. This lack of distinct identity of the creators allows the compositions to feel like a canvas, where each listener can relate to the essence of the songs and interpret them based solely on their own experiences. They can make their own the unbridled passion that is expressed through the complex pieces and shape their own reality. Think of it as some sort of creative writing, where the listener is given a prompt (the song) and develops the premise on their own accord.
If I had to pick favorites, those would be "Memoir", "Arson", with its gripping, purge-like feeling, and most certainly the closing track, "Laude", which is to this day my most listened-to song off of "Mirage"; from the bleak approach of the intro, to the haunting guitar melodies to the spine-chilling "we are Gaerea", there are no words to describe the range of emotions that the song can evoke.
Overall, with this release Gaerea proves to be prolific; when you are consistent with your art, sky is the limit. Not only did "Mirage" manage to overturn the misconception in the meaning of the word, but the band also provides a record with actual substance. The Portugese shine anew and deliver an emotional rollercoaster equally visceral and bludgeoning. "Mirage" is expectedly concise with haunting moments. A truly cathartic experience through and through -and an absolute gem in my yearlist.
9/10
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